Ralph Lauren is one of our most popular designers ever stocked here at Robinsons of Bawtry and the story behind the brand is one of the American dream personified.

As a second-generation Jewish immigrant who went from the Bronx to the big time, becoming a multi-millionaire and one of fashion’s most respected figures in the process, Ralph Lauren’s is a rags to riches story straight out of New York City. Here are five things you probably don’t know about the designer and the fashions that have earned him such fame.

IT ALL BEGAN WITH A TIE

Back in the early 1960s, Ralph Lauren worked behind the tie counter at Manhattan menswear store Brooks Brothers. After the company refused to let him design his own neckwear – bigger, better and with an Ivy League aesthetic that hadn’t yet been seen in men’s fashion – he decided to go it alone. And so the Polo brand was born in 1967. Lauren went from store to store selling the ties, working from what was effectively a drawer in his Empire State Building office.

THE POLO SHIRT HAS BEEN AROUND OVER 40 YEARS

The aforementioned Ralph Lauren polo shirt debuted in 1972 and the rest is history. The shirt was released in 24 colours and a single fit and immediately became the cult classic it is recognised as today. The Ralph Lauren polo shirt has gone on to become available in three fits – Classic, Custom and Slim – and countless colours, with various styles available in store now at Robinsons, the region’s leading Ralph Lauren stockist.

THERE’S A STORY BEHIND THE LOGO

Though Ralph Lauren’s polo shirt did eventually go on to become the uniform de rigour for polo players, it was long before this that the designer decided that the synonymous man on horseback perfectly summarised the Ralph Lauren brand ethos. He had never set foot on a polo field but embraced the preppy connotations surrounding the sport, once telling Oprah Winfrey: “My symbol was always a polo player because I liked sports. And polo has a stylishness to it.”

RALPH LAUREN EMBRACES ALL THINGS AMERICANA

The Ralph Lauren brand has become synonymous with clean-cut, All American style, something which hasn’t happened by accident. The designer’s inspirations are the epitome of Americana and he is quoted on the Ralph Lauren website as saying: “I have always been inspired by the dream of America – families in the country, weathered trucks and farmhouses; sailing off the coast of Maine; following dirt roads in an old wood-panelled station wagon; a convertible filled with young college kids sporting crew cuts and sweatshirts and frayed sneakers.”

You can shop new season Ralph Lauren polo shirts and more ladies and menswear styles in store now at Robinsons. Visit us today at DN10 6JH.